Caesar Dressing

1/2 c parmesan cheese
3/4 c olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice or any vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

Blend all ingredients in the blender until smooth.

The Best Cheesecake EVER!

Crust
¾ c bisquick biscuit mix
¾ c flour
¾ c brown sugar
1 c chopped pecans
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
~Combine all dry ingredients until well blended. Add pecan pieces and melted butter; mix thoroughly. Press mixture evenly into a 10 inch spring form pan. Place in a 350^o oven for 13 min. Allow to cool at room temperature.

Cheesecake Filling

5- 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 c sugar
2 T vanilla
2- 8 oz containers whipped topping
~Cream together softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Approximately 5 minutes on high speed. Scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Fold in whipped topping gently until mixture is smooth. Using spatula scoop into pre-baked pie shell and smooth the top.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze over night or at least 8 hrs.

At least 30 minutes before serving remove from freezer and place at room temperature. Cut and serve with your favorite topping or plain.

Toppings

Caramel Sauce with Pecans
Strawberries, slightly smashed with a touch of sugar
Chocolate Sauce

Mac-N-Cheese

16oz box elbow Mac or Shells- cooked to package directions, drain return to pot

Toss noodles with 4 T butter

Stir in 2 cans of evaporated milk & 2-4 cups of Colby Jack Cheese, (depending on how cheesy you want it) shredded.  

Stir over low heat until melted through season with salt and pepper to taste.

Peanut Butter Pie- Jay's new Favorite!

1-12oz  jar crunchy peanut butter
1-8oz frozen cool whip, thawed
1 qt. vanilla ice cream, softened
4 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped
2 (9in) pie crust of your choice, pre- baked
Redi Whip, to decorate

Combine first 3 ingredients. Stir until blended. Add peanut butter cups, to bottom of the two cooled pie crust. Spoon ice cream mixture into both pie crusts.  Freeze at least 8 hrs.

Garnish pie with whipped topping before serving.

Pizza Dough

1 ½  tsp. dry yeast
¼ c warm water
1 ½ T olive oil
½ c cold water
1 ^2/3 c flour, plus extra
¾ tsp. salt

In a large mixing bowl, stir the yeast into lukewarm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10min. Stir in the olive oil and the c old water, and then whisk in ½ c of the flour and the salt stirring until smooth. Stir in the remaining flour, ½ c at a time, until the dough comes together in a rough mass.

On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough until smooth and velvety, 8-10 min. It will be soft. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

Divide into tow equal portions, knead briefly, and then roll each portion into a smooth, tight round ball. To use the dough immediately, sprinkle a little flour on the work surface roll dough into the size of pizza you wish. Move dough to pizza pan or cast iron skillet top with your favorite toppings and bake at 450^o for 20 min.

My Favorite Bread Dough

If you have a Kitchen Aid this recipe is twice as easy but if you don’t…making it the old fashioned way is fun too.

½ c milk

¼ c sugar

2 tsp. salt

3 T butter

6-7 c flour

Place milk, sugar, salt and margarine in small sauce pan. Heat over low heat until margarine melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.

3 pkg. yeast (6 & ¾ tsp)

1 ½ c warm water (105^o to 115^o)- slightly stings to the touch

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a mixer bowl. Until foam appears on top.

Add lukewarm milk mixture and 4 ½ c flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn To speed 2 and mix 1 minute.  (Stir with a spoon about one minute until fully combined)

Continue on speed 2, add remaining flour, ½ c at a time, and mix about 2 minutes, or until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. (Add flour and stir by hand until ball forms and dough sticks together) Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch but appearance will be smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a large bowl grease with butter, turning over to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warmed oven for 20 min. (Quick Rise: while making the dough I preheat by oven to 170^o before placing the dough into the oven I turn the oven off while the dough rises) Dough will be double in size.

Punch dough down and use for:

 

Dinner Rolls: Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Make dough into 1 ½ ” balls with greased hands. Place balls about 1” apart. Let rise on preheating (400^o) stovetop until double in size. Bake for 20 min. Brush with butter when you remove them from the oven.

Homemade Hamburger Buns: Grease 2 cookie sheets. Preheat oven to 400^o. With buttered hands make dough into 3” balls. Place on the prepared cookie sheets 3” apart. You do not want them to touch. Bake for 15-20 minutes until brown brush with butter.